Conventional second row seat arrangements do not allow sufficient space to allow convenient and easy ingress to and egress from a third row seat arrangement in a vehicle. Other conventional second row seat arrangements do not provide direct access to a third row seat arrangement. Conventional second row seat arrangements provide an outboard seat that requires work each time a third row seat arrangement is to be accessed since the outboard seat has to be moved and manipulated each time a passenger wishes to access the third row seat arrangement.
DE 10 2006 031 886 A1 discloses a seat arrangement having an additional seat that includes a seat cushion, storable within or under an upholstered seat cushion of one of right and left main seats, and a backrest, storable behind both main seats and below floor level on which the main seats are mounted. When using the additional seat, the seat cushion is taken out from within either main seat and is turned relative to the vehicle length into between seat cushions of the main seats. The backrest is taken out from under the floor level and turned transverse to the vehicle length into between backrests of the main seats.
DE 10 2009 042 460 A1 discloses a vehicle that has a partitioned rear bench with rear bench parts mounted at body-fixed rails. The rails are arranged in an equidistant manner. Each bench part is displaceably provided independent of the other bench part. The rails serve as a common support for the bench parts. A distance of the adjacent rails is adapted to a breadth of a seat part. Another distance of the non-adjacent rails is adapted to a breadth of another seat part. Connecting elements are angularly arranged in a region of one of the rails relative to each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,789 discloses a seat assembly for a motor vehicle that includes a first row of seats, a second row of seats spaced from the first row of seats, a third row of seats spaced from the second row of seats, and the second row of seats slide laterally to allow ingress and egress to the third row of seats.
WO 2005/044616 A1 discloses a system and method to configure the back seats of a passenger vehicle to provide easy vehicle ingress and egress and to configure the back seats for a flat or near flat load (cargo) floor.
DE 10 2007 005 144 B4 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 8,033,604 B2, disclose a vehicle that has a vehicle seat arrangement with a vehicle seat having a backrest and a sitting part. A folding seat has a folding seat-sitting part and a folding seat-backrest, where the folding seat is folded adjacent to the vehicle seat. The part and the backrest are mechanically connected with each other using a screw with an axis of rotation. The folding seat is arranged in a folded condition completely below the sitting part, and the vehicle seat and the folding seat are mechanically connected with each other.
DE 10 2007 053 958 A1 discloses a vehicle seating that has a seat segment with a seat part and another seat segment with another seat part and a backrest. The latter seat segment is stowed under the seat part and the backrest is collapsibly designed. The backrest is hinged on the seat part of the latter segment. The collapsing of the backrest takes place by folding on the seat part. DE 10 2007 053 958 A1 also discloses a method for stowage of a seat segment below another seat segment arranged laterally.
DE 10 2008 050 301 A1 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 8,393,677 B2, disclose an automotive seat system that includes a first seat having a back portion and a bottom portion, and a second seat movably attached with the first seat. The second seat moveable between an extended and folded position. One of the back portion and bottom portion of the first seat configured to receive and stow the second seat if in the folded position.
JP 09 002 113 A discloses a storage compartment for a sub seat that is formed under a seat cushion in a main seat, and one end of the seat cushion is pivoted to a seat supporting member to oscillate the seat cushion at a position where the top of the storage compartment is opened and a position where the top of the storage compartment is closed. A main seat side part in a sub seat cushion is pivoted to the seat supporting member, and the sub seat is fitted so as to oscillate between a usable position which permits the seat to be developed to the side of the main seat and a storable position which permits the seat to be stored in the storage compartment.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,490,896 discloses a stowable seat assembly and a method for stowing a vehicular component. The assembly and the vehicular component comprise a stowable seat assembly secured to the vehicle. The assembly has a first seat back and a first seat base, which is adjacent to a longitudinal bar defining in part an opening and a cavity. The assembly also has adjacent to the first seat, a second seat having a second seat base with a bottom side and a second seat back foldable adjacent to the second seat base, and a pivot arm with a first end connected to the second seat base. A second end of the pivot arm is connected to the longitudinal bar, and is positionable on the bar allowing the folded second seat, to pass by the first seat back when pivoted laterally into the opening during stowing of the second seat.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,578,536 discloses a vehicle seat which includes a seat base detachably mounted on a vehicle floor, a seat cushion detachably provided on the seat base, and a backrest foldably supported on the seat base. The seat cushion is detached from the seat base, and the seat cushion and the seat base with the backrest folded are juxtaposed to be stored in a recess provided in the vehicle floor or an area under another seat. In the case of non-use, the vehicle seat can be removed from the vehicle floor to be efficiently stored inside a vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,980,618 discloses a center seat provided rightward in a left seat that is detached from a center seat retention base when a seatback is caused to fold so that the thickness direction of the seatback coincides with the thickness direction of a seating cushion. Then, the folded center seat is caused to move on a floor forward in the vehicle, and is housed into a center seat-housing portion in a console box.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,011,713 discloses a seat arrangement provided for a motor vehicle with a first vehicle seat and a second vehicle seat that is arranged adjacent to the first vehicle seat in the transverse direction. The vehicle seats include a seat part and a back rest. The first vehicle seat can be displaced in the transverse direction from a first position into a second position in which the first vehicle seat is offset in the direction of the second vehicle seat. The second vehicle seat can furthermore be folded from a service position into an idle position. The seat part of the second vehicle seat is lowered in the idle position such that the seat part of the first vehicle seat is arranged above the seat part of the second vehicle seat in the second position.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,118,359 discloses a vehicle seat that can be configured to include a variety of types of cushions. The seat include primary and secondary cushions that are joined together such that the secondary cushion has a stored position under the seating surface of the primary seat cushion and a deployed position where the secondary seat cushion is positioned adjacent the primary seat cushion. The effective width of the seat may be greater when it is in one position than when it is in the other position. The back cushion may include first and second portions and a third portion intermediate the first and second positions. A vehicle may include left, right, and middle seats, the middle seat being configured to have two positions, the effective width of the middle seat in one position being greater than in the other position.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,313,146 B2 discloses a vehicle seat a center seat in a row of seats. The seat includes a back part swivel connected to a seat part so that the back part and seat part swivel away from each other in a seating position and swivel toward one another in a first stowage position. The seat back may be altered in its longitudinal extent between the first stowage position and a second stowage position such that the seat back has a seat length and a shorter stowage length. The seat further includes a traveling mechanism which automatically moves the back part longitudinally from the seat length to the shorter stowage length when the back part is folded into the first stowage position.
US 2008/0185893 A1 discloses a vehicle seat system, for a motor vehicle, that includes a vehicle seat including a seat back and a seat part. A storage space is accessible by folding away and/or displacing the seat part and is provided below the seat part. The vehicle seat system includes a folding vehicle seat capable of being folded up and situated next to the vehicle seat. In the folded state, when the seat part is folded away and/or displaced, the folding vehicle seat is capable of being, e.g., substantially in its entirety, lowered from above into the storage space and/or folded from above into the storage space.
US 2011/0062738 A1 discloses a vehicle seat comprising at least one first segment with a seat part as well as a second segment with a seat part and a backrest. The second segment can be stowed underneath the seat part while the backrest is collapsible.
US 2012/0235006 A1 discloses a seating system for a motor vehicle that includes three sets of rails mounted to the floor of a motor vehicle. Each set of rails is configured to receive two seats that are capable of sliding in a longitudinal direction on the rails. The motor vehicle also includes storage spaces for storing the seats.